r some articles of clothing. I was surprised to find
Indians, in a quarter so remote from those tribes with whom I had
hitherto been conversant, speaking a dialect which I understood
perfectly: their erratic habits, and intercourse with the Crees and
Algonquins, may perhaps account for this similarity of dialect.

I entered into conversation with a shrewd old fellow, who had been
often at Red River settlement. Among other questions, I asked him
whether he had not been baptized?

"Baptized!" he exclaimed; "don't speak of it, my brother.
Baptized--that I may go to the devil! Indians think a good Indian goes
to the good place when he dies; but the priests send _all_ to the evil
one."

I asked him how he made that out?

"Why, I learned it from the priests themselves. When I first went to
Red River, I met a French priest, who earnestly besought me to be
converted. I heard him attentively, and his words had a great effect
upon me; but I had been told there was another priest there, who had
different thoughts about religion, and I thought I would go to him
too. He was very kind to me, and spoke nearly the same words as the
French priest; so that I thought there was no difference in their
religions. He asked me if I would be baptized? and I told him that I
would; but I wanted to learn the French prayer. 'Ah! my son,' he said,
'that must not be: if you adopt that bad religion, you will be burned
for certain.' And he spoke so strong, that I almost thought he was
right. But before I would do anything, I went to the French priest
again, and told him what the English priest said to me; and then said
I would learn the English prayer. 'Ah! my son,' said he, 'if you do
so, it will lead you to perdition: all that pray after the English
manner go to the fire.' And he said much more, and his words were very
strong too; so I saw that I could be no better by forsaking the belief
of my fathers, and I have not gone to French or English priest since."

This is by no means a solitary case; and it is one of the sore evils
which arise from the corruption of Christianity, and the divisions
of Christians. Nor, in the case of creeds so opposite as those of
Protestants and Roman Catholics--creeds as opposite as light and
darkness--is it easy to point out a remedy. After all, it is surely
better for these poor Indians to adopt some form of Christianity,
however corrupt, than to remain in the darkness and debasement of
heathenism. And if our miss